Power sweeper with multiple dust receiving means



March 27, 1956 H. 1.. BLYDENBURGH ETAL 2,739,340

POWER SWEEPER WITH MULTIPLE DUST RECEIVING MEANS Fil ed July 51, 1951 s Sheets-Sheet 1 Snventor POWER SWEEPER WITH MULTIPLE DUST RECEIVING MEANS Filed July 31, 1951 March 1956 H. BLYDENBURGH ET AL 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 EANS Mardl 7, 1956 H. 1.. BLYDENBURGH A POWER SWEEPER WITH MULTIPLE DUST RECEIVING M 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed July 31, 1951 ISnventor POWER SWEEPER WITH MULTIPLE DUST RECEIVING MEANS Harold L. Blydenburgh, Detroit, and Gerald M. Pence, Lansing, Mich, assignors, by mesne assignments, to Detroit Harvester Company, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Application July 31, 1951, Serial No. 239,566

1 Ciaim. (Cl. 15-649) This invenion relates to sweeping machines and, in particular, to power sweepers.

One object of this invention is to provide a power sweeper having suction pipes or conduits arranged with their inlets disposed near the floor level at opposite sides of the machine, so as to pick up the ridges of dust which otherwise form at the sides of the machine as it pro ceeds along the floor or other surface to be swept.

Another object is to provide a power sweeper wherein a chamber is mounted above the main sweeping brush for receiving airborne dust which is drawn into the chamber by a suction blower, and which is optionally provided with an adjustable slide or damper for regulating the width of the inlet opening to the chamber.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent during the course of the following description of the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a top plan view of a power sweeper according to one form of the invention, with the dust bag removed and shown in dotted lines;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the power sweeper shown in Figure 1 with the dust bag removed and with the inlet of the suction blower broken away so as to appear in central vertical section;

Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal section through the dust sweeping and collecting unit of the power sweeper, taken along the line 33 in Figure l, with the suction blower and dust bin lifting handle omitted;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary horizontal section taken along the line 44 in Figure 2, showing the manner of securing the suction blower inlet to the sweeper housing or casing;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary horizontal section taken along the line 55 in Figure 3, showing the sealing arrangement at the side edges of the dust bin;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary horizontal section taken I along the line 6-6 in Figure 2, showing the sealing arrangement at the upper forward edge of the dust bin;

Figure 7 is a vertical cross-section through the dust sweeping and collecting unit, taken along the line 77 in Figure 2;

Figure 8 is a vertical cross-section through the dust sweeping and collecting unit, taken approximately along the line 88 in Figure 2;

Figure 9 is a horizontal section through the dust sweeping and collecting unit, taken along the line 9--9 in Figure 2; and

Figure 10 is a top plan view of an improved dust bag used in the power sweeper of Figure 1.

General arrangement Hitherto, in conventional power sweepers, the single large brush employed therein ordinarily throws dust out from beneath the machine without being deposited in the dust bin or other dirt container. Furthermore, finer particles of airborne dust often escape into the open air without being caught by the dust bin. As prior machines of this type move across the floor or other surface 2,739,340 Patented Mar. 2?, 1956 to be swept, they also ordinarily leave two ridges or lines of dust at the sides of the machine at the opposite ends of the brush. In such prior machines, moreover, the removal of the dirt from the dust bin has been a heavy task where it has been necessary to lift the dust bin bodily in order to open up its interior for this purpose.

The power sweeper of the present invention eliminates these difiiculties of prior sweepers by providing a forward or booster brush of small diameter which throws upward into the dust bin any dirt which may have been thrown forward by the large rearward main brush at a level too low to reach the dust bin directly. A pair of suction conduits are provided, one on each side of the machine, to pick up the ridges or lines of dust which otherwise form at the sides of the machine at the opposite ends of the main brush. The dust sweeping and collecting apparatus is also mounted in the form of a unit which may be removed bodily from the machine for repairs or replacement. The heavy dust or dirt is caught in a dust bin which is pivotally mounted in such a manner as to be merely tilted in order to expose its exterior and enable the dirt to be removed, without requiring it to be lifted bodily. The lighter or airborne dust thrown up by the brushes is sucked upward by a power-driven suction blower and deposited in a bag, preferably porous and preferably of a special design which gives it a much greater surface area than ordinary dust bags. The main brush itself is adjustable upward or downward in order to compensate for wear or for the installation of a new brush.

Chassis construction Referring to the drawings in detail, Figures 1 and 2 show a power sweeper, generally designated 10, according to one form of the invention, as consisting generally of a self-propelled chassis 11 containing a separately removable unitary sweeping and dust collecting unit 12 which is quickly and easily removed from the chassis 11 after the drive chain connecting it to the main chassis power outlet has been disconnected and the attachment bolts removed.

The chassis it consists of a frame 13 in the form of an approximately U-shaped channel member 14. The latter has side portions 15 interconnected at their forward ends by a bridge portion 16 braced by a parallel channel-shaped cross member 17 welded or otherwise secured at its opposite ends to the side portions 15. Se cured as by the bolts 18 between the channel portions 16 and 17 is a supporting structure 19 carrying a flanged vertical bushing 20 (Figure 3) which pivotally supports a caster fork 21 by means of a pivot shaft 22. The fork 21 is provided with an axle 23 carrying a caster wheel 24. The caster wheel pivot shaft 22 is held in position by a pin 25 and its bushing 20 by a nut 26 threaded up on the threaded upper end of the bushing 2h. The side members 15 of the frame 13 have rearward end portions 28 bent toward one another and interconnected by a shaft or cross bar 29 secured to the ends of the portions 23 by the U-bolts 30 (Figure l) and at their opposite ends by a cross bar 31. Secured to and extending between the cross bars 29 and 31 is a base structure 32 carrying a pair of spaced cars 33 supporting a pivot pin or bolt 34 upon which the lower end of a guiding handle 35 is pivotally mounted. The lower end of the handle 35 has a bent portion 36 extending forwardly therefrom and is I Mounted on the crankshaft 41 of the engine is a pinion 42 which meshes with a gear 43 mounted on an output shaft 44 and enclosed in a reduction gear box housing 45. The shaft 44 carries a sprocket 46 which is drivingly engaged by an endless sprocket chain 47 which drivingly connects it to a sprocket 48 on a countershaft 49 (Figure l). The countershaft 49 is journaled at its opposite ends in bearing blocks 50 which are bolted or otherwise secured to the frame side members 15. Also drivingly secured to the countershaft 49 on opposite sides of the base structure 32 are twin drive sprockets 51 which are drivingly connected by sprocket chains 52 to driven sprockets 53 mounted on axles 54 journaled in and supported by an axle housing 55 secured to the base structure 32. Mounted upon the axle housing '55 and driven by the axles 54 are driving wheels or ground wheels 56 carrying pneumatic tires 57. For purposes of simplicity, no clutches or change speed gearing have shown between the engine 40 and the axle or axles 54 but such may be provided, if desired.

The countershaft 49 carries a clutch 58 including a sliding clutch member 59 which is splined or keyed to the countershal't 49. The sliding clutch member 59 is toothed and is slidable into and out of engagement with a correspondingly toothed clutch member 60 on the end of the hub 61 of a sprocket 62 which is loosely and rotatably mounted on the counter'shaft 49. A conventional shift yoke and lever (not shown) enables the sliding clutch member 59 to be moved to and fro along the countershaft 49 to connect or disconnect the sprocket hub 61 from the power-driven countershaft 49. A sprocket chain 63 conveys power from the sprocket 62 to the dust sweeping and collecting unit 12 (Figure 2) and its lower course is guided by an idler sprocket 64 (Figure 2) mounted on an axle 65 supported by a bracket 66 which is adjustably bolted or otherwise secured as at 67 to one of the frame side members 15. The outer end of the output shaft 44 carries a pulley 68 for driving a belt 69 by which power is conveyed to a. suction blower subsequently to be described.

The dust sweeping and collecting unit 12 includes a pair of side members or side plates 70 and 71 which have vertically-spaced inwardly-extending upper edge flanges 72 and 73 (Figure 8) and which are interconnected at their rearward ends by a tie rod 74 supported by ears 75 projecting rearwardly. The tie rod 74 carries ears '76 to which is bolted a plate 77 extending downwardly and forwardly and carrying a resilient strip 78 of rubber, synthetic rubber or other suitable material (Figure 3). Extending laterally from the side plates 70 and 71 are lugs 79 through which pass adjusting bolts 80 by which the dust sweeping and collecting unit 12 may be adjusted upward or downward. The side plates 70 and 71 are interconnected by a sheet metal apron 81 to form a housing, generally designated 82, the rearward end of which extends downward almost to the floor level (Figure 3) immediately above the plate 77. The side members 70 and 71 have irregularly shaped generally inclined forward edges 83 (Figure 2) terminating near their lower ends in notches 84. The sheet metal apron 81 extends upward and has an integral top portion 84 beneath which is a parallel plate 85 extending between the flanges 73 of the side members 70, 71 (Figure 8) and forming a boxlike compartment 85a having an inlet opening 86 at its rearward end (Figure 3) and an inlet opening 87 at its forward end (Figure 7) closed by an adjustable slide 88 reciprocable to and fro in spaced guides 89.

The apron 81 has its top portion 84 bolted, riveted or otherwise secured to the upper flanges 72 on the side plates 79 and 71 (Figure 8). The top member 84 is provided with an aperture 90 forming an outlet for the chamber 86 and aligned with the tubular inlet duct 91 of a suction blower'92 having a volute casing 93 in which is 'joii'rnaled the shaft 94 of an impeller or rotor 95 (Figure 2). The shaft 94 at its upper end carries a pulley 96 driven by the belt 69 from the pulley 68 previously mentioned as mounted on the output shaft 44. The tubular inlet duct 91 of the blower housing 93 is flanged as at 97 and bolted as at 93 (Figure 4) to the top portion 84 or" the apron 81. The bolts 98 pass through slots 93a to provide a means for tightening the belt 69. The lower housing 93 is provided with a tangentially-directed tubular outlet duct 99.

Telescoped over the tubular outlet duct 99 of the blower casing 93 is a securing collar 1131) to which is attached the open end 101 of a porous dust bag 102. The latter, when unfolded, (Figure 10) is approximately sausage-shaped with oppositely-tapered ends 103 and 104. The end 104 is closed by a member 105 carrying an inwardly-extending snap hook 106 adapted to be snapped over a cross member 107 extending across the month 161 of the dust "bag 102 and supported at its opposite ends by the collar 1%. Optionally, the cross bar 107 may carry 'a loop or eye 168 to which the snap ring Hi6 may be attached. In so attaching the snap ring 1116 to the member 107 or 198, the free end or closed end 104 of the bag 1112 is pulled lengthwise inside the bag 1152 so as to leave an a proximatel conical opening 109 therein (Figure 1). This arrangement provides a short compact dust bag with an extended surface area which facilitates escape of the air from the blower 92, leaving the airborne dust entrapped within the dust bag 102.

Tilt'alfily mounted in the notches 84 is a dust bin 110 having pins 111 extending outwardly from its opposite sides. The dust bin 110 is of a generally box-like shape having side plates 112 interconnected by a sheet metal apron or wall 113 welded or otherwise secured thereto and extending in "an approximately U-shaped path (Figure 3) having cross bars 114 and 115 extending across its upper and lower edges respectively. Mounted on the top portion 84 of the housing apron 81 is a cross bar 116 and extending between the cross bars 114 and 116 is a resilient connecting and sealing strip 117 of rubber, synthetic rubber or the like. Secured to the side plates 70 and 71 adjacent their forward edges 118 are side bars 119 (Figures 3 and 5-) which serve to hold sealing strips 120 of rubber, synthetic rubber or the like adapted to be engaged by the rearward edges 121 of the side plates 112. The opposite ends of the cross bar 116 are bent downward adjacent the side plates 70 and 71 as at 122 (Figures 2 and 6') and serve to anchor in position a resilient sealing strip 123 of rubber, synthetic rubber or the like (Figure 6), and the dust bin side plates 112 are provided with outwardly-projecting bosses 124 which engage the sealing strips 123 in the closed position of the dust bin 110. The side plates 112 of the dust bin 110 slightly overlap the side plates 70 and 71 of the housing 82 (Figures 5 and 6) in order to still further retard the escape of dust. Brackets 125 are secured to the upper edges of the dust bin side plates 112 and carry a handle bar 126 secured thereto at its opposite ends (Figure 1.). In order to facilitate tilting the dust bin 110, the latter is provided with arms 127 bolted or otherwise secured to the apron 113 and projecting upward and forward and terminating in laterally directed pivot rods or pins 128. Mounted upon and extending between the frame bridge portion 16 and the cross member 17 are auxiliary pivot supports 129 having notches 130 disposed in the path of the pivot pins 128 when the dust bin 110 is swung upward into the dotted line position of Figure 2 by means of the handle bar 126. When this' occurs,o f course, the pins 111 move upward out of their notches 84 in the side plates 70 and 71.

Secured by the bolts 131 to the lower cross bar 115 (FigureB) within the dust bin 112 is a bafile 132 of arcuate cross-section which extends upward and rearward from the lower edge of the dustbin apron 1'13 and which has elongated adjustment slots 133 (Figure 9) for the bolts 131. This bafile 132 not only prevents dirt from coming out of the dust bin 110 through the opening 134 in its rearward wall, but alsoprevents dirt from being carried around back to the floor or surface to be swept by the action of the booster brush described below.

In order to further guard against dirt being thrown out at the sides of the machine, each side of the machine is provided with a dust guard plate 135 (Figures 2, 7 and 8) which is secured by the bolts 136 to the side plates 70 and 71 and which in turn is provided at its lower edge with a resilient strip 137 of rubber, synthetic rubber or other resilient material giving a yielding contact with the surface to be swept. The bolts 136 pass through elongated slots 138 by means of which the guard plates 135 may be adjusted upward or downward while the bolts 136 are loosened. Cooperating with the guard plates 135 are side dust removal conduits 139 leading downwardly thereto from ports 1390 in the bottom wall 85 of the chamber 85a. The side plates 70 and 71 are provided with inwardly-projecting bosses 140 (Figures 2 and 8) into which pivot bolts 141 are threaded.

Pivotally mounted on the pivot bolts 141 and tiltable thereon are two main-brush holding arms 142. The up per end of each brush-holding arm 142 is bifurcated o1 forked as at 143, the U-shaped slot 144 provided there by being engaged by an eccentric or circular cam 145 (Figure 3). The two eccentrics 145 are mounted upon a cam shaft 146 which is journaled in the side plates 70 and 71. The opposite ends of the cam shaft 146 project outwardly beyond the side plates 70 and 71 and carry quadrants 147 (Figure 2) with arcuate slots 148 therein centered on the axis of the cam shaft 146 and adapted to be clamped in a desired position of adjustment by clamping bolts 149. The opposite or lower end of each brush holding arm 142 is widened arcuately as at 150 (Figures 2 and 3) and carries a clamping bolt 151 which projects through an arcuate slot 152 in each side plate 70 and 71 (Figure 2). Each brush holding arm 142 is provided with an inwardlyprojecting bearing boss 153 (Figure 8) in which are journaled the opposite ends of a main brush shaft 154. The brush shaft 154 projects outwardly through the side plate 71 through an arcuate slot 155 (Figure 2) in the side plate 71 and on its outer end carries a sprocket 156 drivingly engaged by the sprocket chain 63 immediately after it passes around an idler sprocket 157 mounted on a pivot stud 158 secured in a boss 159 projecting outwardly from the side plate 71 (Figure l).

Mounted on the main brush shaft 154 is the tubular hub 160 of the main brush, generally designated 161. The hub 160 is drivingly secured to the shaft 154 by set screws 162 and has radial arms 163 (Figure 3) projecting outward from the opposite ends of the hub 160 and having the back bars 164 of brushes 165 bolted or otherwise secured thereto, the brushes 165 having bristle clumps 166 secured to and in the bars 164. By this arrangement the brushes 165 may be unbolted and replaced by new brushes when the main brush 161 becomes badly worn. The construction employing the pivoted brush holding arms 142 enables the main brush 161 to be adjusted quickly and easily relatively to the surface S to be swept, as described in connection with the operation of the invention.

Threaded into the inner sides of the side plates 70 and 71 in the bottom forward portion thereof are coaxial pivot bolts 171) (Figure 9) on which are pivotally mounted a pair of forwardly-projecting substantially horizontal booster brush holding arms 171, the forward ends of which carry clamping bolts 172 which project through arcuate slots 173 concentric with the pivot bolts 170 and providing for upward or downward adjustment of the arms 171. Intermediate the bolts 170 and 172, the arms 171 are provided with bearing bosses 174 (Figalso enables the booster brush 161 to be adjusted relatively to the surface S to be swept.

Operation In the operation of the invention, let it be assumed that the main brush 161 has been adjusted by swinging the arms 142 around their pivot bolts 141 so that the bristles 166 of the brushes 165 properly engage the surface S to be swept. This is done by loosening the bolts 149 and 151 (Figure 2) and swinging the quadrants 148 which in turn rotate the cam shaft 146 and eccentrics 145 mounted in the U-shaped slots 144 in the bifurcated portions 143 of the main brush holding arms 142. After this adjustment has been made, the bolts 149 and 151 are retightened, clamping the main brush holding arms 142 in their adjusted positions. In a simiiar manner, the booster brush 177 is adjusted relatively to the surface S to be swept by loosening the bolts 172 and swinging the booster brush holding arms 171 upward or downward until the booster brush 177 is properly positioned. The baffle 132 for the booster brush 177 is also properly adjusted relatively to the latter by loosening the bolts 131 passing through the elongated slots 133' (Figures 3 and 9) and retightening the bolts 131 after the baffie 132 has reached the desired position. The slide 88 (Figure 7) is adjusted relatively to the port 87 in the forward wall of the chamber 8511 until the desired suction is obtained, and the blower 92 moves to and fro by loosening the bolts 98 in the elongated slots 99 (Figure 4) until the belt 69 (Figure 2) has the proper tension for driving the impeller of the blower 92.

The operator starts the engine 419 in operation, whereupon power is transmitted to the reduction gearing 42, 43 from the engine crankshaft 41 to the output shaft 44 and sprocket 46 and sprocket chain 47 to the sprocket 62 on the shaft 49. The rotation of the sprocket 62 causes the sprocket chain 63 to drive the sprockets 156 and 180 which rotate the main brush 161 and booster brush 177 in opposite directions, as indicated by the arrows in Figure 3.

At the same time, power is transmitted from the sprockets 51 on the shaft 49 by the sprocket chains 52 (Figure l) to the sprockets 53 on the axle 54, rotating the ground wheels 56 in the direction of the arrow (Figure 2). Guided by the operator through the agency of the handle 35, the power sweeper 16 moves across the surface S to be swept, the major part of the heavy dust or heavier dirt particles being thrown upward into the dust bin 110. Certain of the heavy dust particles which are thrown forward along the surface S being swept, are carried upward by the counter-rotating booster brush 177 and thrown over the baffle 132 into the dust bin 110.

Meanwhile, the rotor or impeller 95 of the suction blower 92 has been driven by the belt 69 from the pulley 68 on the output shaft 44, and sucks the lighter airborne dust particles upward through the ports 36 and 87 (Figures 3 and 7) through the chamber 35a and discharges them into the bag 102. The latter has a widely extended surface area due to its peculiar construction (Figure l) and catches the dust while the air goes out through the porous material of the dust bag 102.

While this is occurring, the dust guard plates with their resilient bottom strips 137 prevent dust from being thrown out laterally from beneath the machine, and such dust is sucked up by the suction conduits 139 and discharged through the ports 139a (Figure 8) through the suction blower 92 into the dust bag 102.

When the dust sweeping has been completed or the dust bin 110 requires emptying, the operator grasps the handle 126 and swings the dust bin 110 upward and forward into the dotted line position (Figure 2), the pivot pins 111 moving out of their slots 84 as the pivot pins 128 move into their notches 130. The dust bin 110 can then be swung upward a sufficient distance or completely inverted so that the operator can insert a shovel into the chamber 112 thereof and remove the heavier dirt particles. Thus, the weight is first carried by the pivots 111 and afterward by the pivots 128. The lighter dirt or dust particles are removed by removing a dust bag 102 from the outlet conduit 99 of the suction blower 92.

If, for any reason, it is desired to make comprehensive repairs to the dust sweeping and collecting unit 12, this may be done by removing the bolts 80 and lifting the entire assembly out of the frame 13. As previously stated, the bolts 80 also serve to adjust the unit 12 upward or downward, as desired (Figures 7 and 8) relatively to the frame members 15 upon which they rest.

As the main and booster brushes 161 and 177 respectively become worn, the same adjustments mentioned above enable this wear to be taken up or the brushes to be removed and replaced entirely, as explained above.

What we claim is:

In a power sweeper having a Wheeled chassis, a housing mounted on said chassis, a rotary sweeping brush mounted in said housing, a dust bin carried. by said chassis and disposed in dust receiving relation with respect to said brush, a manifold disposed transversely of said chassis above said brush and having openings for receiving dust laden air from the region of said housing adja cent the top of said brush, suction producing means connected to said manifold, a power source drivingly connected to said brush and to said suction device, valve means in said manifold for adjusting airflow therethrough, and suction conduits connected with said manifold and having intake nozzles disposed at the sides of the chassis adjacent the ends of said brush.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 460,869 Hill Oct. 6, 1891 913,460 Bishop Feb. 23, 1909 918,896 Noe Apr. 20, 1909 1,085,676 Finch Feb. 3, 1914 1,143,052 Kerr June 15, 1915 1,507,317 Laberge Sept 2, 1924 2,194,297 Drumm Mar 19, 1940 2,247,121 Foldes June 24, 1941 2,286,245 Wilson et al June 16, 1942 2,298,054 Howell Oct. .6, 1942 2,537,523 Frost Jan. 9, 1951 2,614,279 Mott Oct. 21, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 280,767 Italy Dec. 19, 1930 701,094 France Jan. 5, 1931 767,351 France May 1, 193-4 

